The suspect, who claimed to have abandoned his job as a commercial bus driver for robbery, said, “I am from Okeho town in Kajola Local Government Area, Oyo State, but I was born in Ajegunle, Lagos State.

“My problems started when I married my wife. She gave me children, but she did not obey me. Instead, she continued to make more demands that overstretched me. Instead of cutting her coat according to her size, she would tell me to do what real men do, no matter the risk.

“There was one soap I told her that I used to do charm, and that on no account must she touch it. When I went to work, she went and destroyed the charm, despite my warning to her that if the soap is destroyed I would die. Having realised that she had no value for my life, coupled with too many demands from her, I sent her away from my house.

“This overstretched me because I am still taking care of my children. As a commercial driver, I used to go home everyday with two or three thousand naira after delivery of five thousand naira to the owner of the bus, yet it was not enough to take care of my family.”

After narrating how the pressure from his wife made him desire more money, he said a friend of his suggested to him the idea.

“I was still managing (as a commercial driver) until one of my friends named Tijani and my conductor brought the idea to rob people and make quick money. They called it advanced pickpocket work.

“This is what we do; the conductor and Tijani, would start haggling the fare while the bus is on motion. As the argument becomes heated, members of the gang who posed as passengers would start dispossessing passengers of their phones and money,” he added.

Speaking about their arrest, he noted that someone had informed the police about their act of robbery. According to him, the police chased them while they were robbing some of their victims along Surulere.